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Virtual Assistant

Amazon wants you to upgrade your lifestyle with its Alexa-enabled Echo

There’s nothing quite like a pop quiz to spruce up a family bonding time. Answer correctly, and you’re safe. If not, say for instance, incorrectly (but confidently) guessing the capital of Australia, some old school punishment could be headed your way, all of which is monitored by a rather inanimate member of the family – Amazon’s Alexa, an AI voice-assistant encased in Amazon’s smart speaker, Echo. Barring that, this AI-based duo is well equipped cater to your needs, as depicted in its three TVCs under ‘Ask Alexa’ campaign. Right from keeping you up-to-date with cricket scores, managing your grocery list and playing a song fit for the mood, Alexa and Echo have it all it figured out.

Ravi Desai, director, mass and brand marketing, Amazon India, says, “We wanted the campaign to show how [Alexa and Echo] can fit into the everyday life. We also wanted to highlight the ease-of-use of these products, unlike other forms of technology.”

There’s no doubt that Amazon wants to make you future-ready with its Alexa-enabled Echo devices, especially since it is going all out to prove how seamlessly it can fit into your routine. But whether the country is ready to welcome it remains to be seen. Kiran Ramamurthy, executive vice-president, Ogilvy & Mather explains, “India is not used to voice-control devices. The challenge for us was to introduce not one but two brand names, Alexa and Echo. So, we decided that our strategy would be to demonstrate the products and its multitude skills.” Amazon may be the first one to the game here, but its peer, Google Home is not far behind. But for now, Alexa is one command away.